Illinois basketball is poised to have a big year in 2026-27, especially with five of their key players returning to make another run for a title.
Brad Underwood was extremely blessed this offseason, as Andrej Stojakovic, Jake Davis, David Mirkovic, and both Ivisic twins agreed to return to the Illini.
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Illinois is building something special in Champaign, and are prepared to keep this trend going with their recruiting. It is going to be interesting to see who they can bring in, but it looks like they may have found a gem in combo-guard Brady Pettigrew after the release of Rivals’ class of 2028 rankings.
Pettigrew, a product of Bolingbrook, Illinois, is currently ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state. He is a dynamic backcourt presence who was extended an offer from Illinois on April 7, 2025.
The 6-foot-3 guard is an elite playmaker who can take over for his team at a moment’s notice. Recently, Pettigrew showed off his offensive prowess as a member of Brad Beal Elite in the Nike EYBL Session III, averaging 26 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals per game.
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Brad Underwood and the Illinois basketball team need to continue their pursuit of this highly coveted prospect
The Illinois basketball program doesn’t have a long-term solution for either guard position, especially during the very fluid NIL era we find ourselves in. They will be losing Stojakovic to the NBA Draft, and 2027 signee Quentin Coleman is talented enough to possibly join him after one season.
It is a bit of a questionable situation right now, which is why Pettigrew should seriously be at the top of Underwood’s short list heading into the season. The program needs to keep the in-state pipeline flowing, and landing a talent like Pettigrew would be a big win in that regard.
Pettigrew would bring a great deal of talent to an Illinois roster that will be transitioning from one regime to another. He not only has a premier skillset that allows him to score from all three levels, but also has ‘sticky-hands’ on defense that can make him a lockdown defender on the perimeter.
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Simply put, Pettigrew is a win for Illinois, regardless of how you look at him. If Underwood can pair him with Coleman or 2027 recruit Jaxson Davis, he would have a lethal backcourt that can contend with the best in the country. But if he commits without those two rostered, he can become the perfect young star for the Illini to build around.
This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Rivals updated rankings give Illinois basketball a massive recruiting target in backyard.
